The Hatters played six competitive games, including four that were decided by one run, while going 2-4 over their trip to Aberdeen.

"Basically, I think overall we had great season; we were the only team to repeat from the 10-year-old World Series," Danbury coach Ken Clancy said. "The kids have always wanted to get there. They made it their goal two years ago and they made it happen. They had some really good games in order to get to where they got. They played hard and they practiced hard."

Danbury's best showing may have been its second game of the World Series against Little Rock, Ark., which was its first win.

A seesaw battle led the squads into extra innings, and although the Hatters surrendered a run in the top half of the seventh, they came back with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame to claim a 5-4 walk-off win.

"It's really good for them to see that there's kids out there that are better than them and teams that are better," Ken Clancy Jr. said. "On the road there we kind of blew everyone away, and we didn't know what to expect (at the World Series). It was nice to see we were right there with every team."

"It was a relief to everybody," Ken Clancy said. "You don't want to go down there and go 0-for. A load was taken off of us when we made it to the World Series and another load was taken off when we got our first win."

Lights-out pitching

As had been the case all season, according to Ken Clancy, pitching was Danbury's greatest strength in Aberdeen.

Justin Solimine, Rich Wekerke, Andrew Philbin, Zach Demko and Jake Matson all logged innings on the bump at the World Series, and those hurlers were largely responsible for keeping Danbury in games.

"I strongly feel that we made it as far as we did due to our pitching staff," Ken Clancy said.

The most impressive pitching performance belonged to Solimine, who went the distance in Danbury's opener against Hanford, Calif., while permitting just three runs and whiffing 10 in a 3-2 tournament-opening loss.

"One thing that stands out is Justin Solimine's 10-strikeout game," Ken Clancy said. "That was a great performance. It really needs to be taken seriously. Ten strikeouts in a complete game in the World Series is impressive."

In a thank you email to players and parents at the conclusion of the Ripken World Series, Ken Clancy Jr. offered to work with any pitchers who are looking to stay sharp in the offseason.

Furthermore, he was willing to work on any area of the game with any player who wants the help.

"I sent out a mass email and let them know I'm free on certain days and I'll work with anyone who wants to work on any facet, not just pitching," Clancy Jr. said. "There are a lot of kids on that team who kind of relied on strength instead of technique and still were amazing. It would be nice to how they could pitch with good technique and good mechanics."

In addition to the World Series in Aberdeen, the boys also traveled to Dover, N.H., for the New England regional tournament, in which they posted an unblemished record, not to mention all the travel over Connecticut in the regular season.

Preparation was what set Danbury apart from its counterparts, according to Ken Clancy. "The whole key was dedication and practice in New England regionals," he said. "It's what propelled us to the World Series."

Such extensive travel is not something that every youth baseball team gets to enjoy, and enjoy Danbury did.

For assistant coach Ken Clancy Jr., seeing the team sport the New England jerseys was unique in and of itself. "It was cool to see them wearing the New England jerseys," he said. "The experience was great. They really took care of the kids out there. There were two different press conferences at the Cal Ripken and at the Under Armour headquarters."

Gold glover

To claim just one of 10 gold glove awards in the World Series, you need to flash some serious leather.

Danbury second baseman Danny Villanola, who started five of the six games, showed a sharp glove all tournament and walked away with the honors.

"He's an everyday `go-out-there-and-do-your-job type player' and he's under the radar, but in the end the stats don't lie, and they felt he really deserved the golden glove," Clancy said. "Second base on our team is going to have a lot of chances. We do a reverse shift because our pitchers throw hard."

Only 10 gold gloves are given out to teams from the United States, with another 10 going to international teams, and there is no rule that requires every team to have a recipient.

"It wasn't like they had to give one to New England or anything like that," Clancy said.

As a team, the Hatters' defense had more ups than downs at the World Series, including one game in which they did not commit an error and another three when they had just one miscue.

"It came down to defense and pitching," Ken Clancy Jr. said. "Our offense didn't translate to the World Series like it did in the regional tournament and state tournament. Pitching and defense kept it together for us."

Future of the team

New opportunities are afforded to players once they hit the 13-year-old age bracket, as all of Danbury will do next season. AAU ball is one of those options.

While some players (and parents) have expressed an interest in keeping the team together, they may need to do so under a new head coach. Ken Clancy will likely not return as manager of the team, though Ken Clancy Jr. has expressed interest in the position and would like to coach the bunch as 13-year-olds on the big fields.

"I would love to see the team stay together," Clancy Jr. said. "I don't know if it'll be the case, but I would like to coach. I want to stay with the players for the spring season and help them adjust to the big field. The last batting practice we held at Cal Ripken we played on 90-foot bases just to show what a dramatic change it is."

"I'd just like to thank DYB for trusting me with the team," Ken Clancy said. "I'm glad we came through for them."